Becoming Refined.

How to Speed Up the Day

2011-11-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

I have a coworker who listens to her iPod while doing filing and data entry type tasks. She is totally hooked on NPR news and other news related podcasts. When I pop my head in her office she pulls out her ear buds and tells me what the latest news is, only she is usually weeks behind real time. Today she told me that Gadhafi was dead. A few months ago I started listening to podcasts too. I had

A Bump in the Rear

2011-11-01T21:56:00.000-07:00

I have been working at a new refinery for seven months now. It is a different kind of job, but I am mostly enjoying it. The biggest change is the location. Now instead of driving twenty minutes to work, I drive an hour. In the summer this was fun. On the drive home we (Nathan and I commute half way together) would have the sun roof open, the windows down, take the scenic ocean view route and

Don't get too comfortable!

2011-03-27T15:11:00.000-07:00

I was getting all adjusted to being at home with the kids full time. It's a lot of running around to school, preschool, housework and other daily have to do things. We were ticking right along. Of course, finances are tight, and things were day to day. We were set for potential long term unemployment though, and feeling mostly ok with it. On Wednesday my contract company boss called and said he

Table for Seven?

2011-03-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we temporarily became a family of seven. For three crazy days we housed five kids in this humble abode. Five kids, with three of them under the age of five. It was amazingly fantastic. I don't think too many people are surprised by my admitting that I love large families. Although I don't think that five kids makes for an overly large family, just robust! If our little tribe of six

Oh, Hello!

2011-03-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

So in case you haven't noticed I am not so good at commitment. But I want to be, so here is a new and improved promised effort. To update, I am no longer working at the refinery I've been at for seven years. I'm super sad about it, and wish I could explain all the reasons, but the short of it is that I don't work there now and well, that is that. Although now that I don't, I have lots of great

Swinging Girl

2010-05-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

The sun shines through my windows only a few months a year at this house. I blame the darkness mostly on the surrounding evergreens and somewhat on the frequent rain fall. We hope to have a new house someday that is full sun, no trees. No big trees at least. My favorite part of these tall old trees though? It's the girl kitty-corner to us who swings and swings for hours. She has a single swing

Sickness Strikes Again!

2010-05-04T18:25:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in my car outside of the hair cut place with the little kids while Nathan takes Zoe to get her hair done, because it's been lots of months since she's had a hair cut and she looks like a cave girl. Well, that and tomorrow is picture day. Since she only has eleven classmates we don't want to be immortalized in photos as the ones who never cut our kids' hair. I'm sure there is a good

Turns out a gluten free diet does not improve your golf game.

2010-05-01T17:21:00.000-07:00

Hi blog! I kind of forgot to write in you for a while. I don't think forgetting is the right term. I had lots of internal dialog about things to say on here, but I just never made it to the keyboard. Whoops. The gluten/dairy free diet kind of continues. Kind of in that when I am really wanting some cheese, I have some. I can make three delightfully tasty gluten and dairy free things now. 1.

More Gluten Free Adventures

2010-04-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

I have two days of gluten free/dairy free baking left, and I seem to have hit a renewed sense of confidence. There are big wind storms coming our way today and already the house is getting slammed by gusts and the windows are whistling. It's the perfect kind of day to stay inside and bake. Today I made gluten/dairy free banana bread, since we had two very sad looking bananas, that may or may not

Worst Nightmare

2010-04-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

One of the scariest things that could happen in an oil refinery has happened here last night, in our own backyard. At about 12:30 am the Tesoro Refinery in Anacortes Washington experienced an explosion and fire at the Naptha Hydro Treater Unit. Three people were killed and four are in critical condition at Harborview, two women and two men. One of the women is exactly my age. I can't even imagine

Isla's Shirt!

2010-03-23T18:40:00.000-07:00

Look at what I made! Pretty cute huh? Too bad it's already a hair too small... I think she likes it anyways. This last weekend I didn't have to work at the refinery so instead we went to two little boy birthday parties. The first one was superhero/princess themed, so we got all gussied up and had a good time. Simon went as Buzz Lightyear, Morgan and Zoe threw on some dress up clothes and Isla

Total System Failure: The Inherited Dragon vs. Zoe

2010-03-16T18:22:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately for Zoe, she was born into a family that’s ultimate success depends entirely upon routine and habit. Also unfortunate for Zoe is that she is composed 90 percent of me and only ten percent Nathan. This means that she is easily prone to the disasters of distraction, procrastination and lack of good prioritization skills. Knowing myself somewhat, I have come to realize the pitfalls

My Near Death Bike Experience

2010-03-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

I've been working another turnaround out at the refinery, which is fantastic for the money, but horrible for the "outside life." Going from working part time (three eight hour days a week) to seven twelves has been kind of iffy, and if it wasn't for our beyond awesome nanny, I'm sure things would have been super unpleasant. My part in the turnaround this time is to just fill in where Dale (my

Pretty High Trade in Value

2010-02-28T21:23:00.000-08:00

This weekend I decided to trade in my old model of Husband and get a new upgraded version. The early version was working fine, but needed some help. These upgrades were needed mainly in the hair department, as there were some issues of compatibility between the Old Version with the Mother - In - Law. Upgrades were also made in the shoe and outerwear departments . Also, we were beginning to get a

Happy Friday!

2010-02-26T17:54:00.000-08:00

Tractor Riding in the Sun, Move it Isla Nana's House is Simon's Favorite Place IN THE WORLD. Happy Boy! Happy Friday!

Lent 2010: Day Ten List of Ten

2010-02-26T17:46:00.000-08:00

It has been ten or so days of gluten and dairy free living and this is what I have learned so far: 1. When baking gluten and dairy free, you have to forget everything you thought you knew about how to bake.2. When in doubt bake brownies, chocolate can save anything!3. A quick scrambled egg in the morning can give you the brain and will power to plan for lunch and dinner. 4. There are no suitable

I Will Bake You Some Gluten-Free Bread If You Will Fix My Dishwasher.

2010-02-24T17:06:00.000-08:00

Nathan broke our dishwasher. As in, when it drains, water flows freely from the bottom all over the kitchen floor. At first I didn't really care. He promised to fix it. But then the parts for the car came in the mail and he spent two days cleaning out the garage and then another day fixing the car door and then a day of yard work and then it's been over a week with no dishwasher. The car door has

Lent 2010: The Day Where We Let the Kids Sleep In and Miss Church.

2010-02-21T08:37:00.000-08:00

I love weekends. Working part time kind of skewed my perspective on weekends for a bit, but the reality is simply that when Nathan is home from work, all is right with the Warner World. We sure do enjoy these two days a week together. So far this weekend we've been really productive. We spent the morning yesterday with my parents hearing all about their adventure at the Olympics. They saw a

Lent 2010: Day Two, or The Day of Attempted Accomplishments

2010-02-18T19:11:00.000-08:00

Today we tried to get the cat spayed, but were told to come back tomorrow. We tried to get groceries, but the checker was super rude when I handed him our WIC checks. We tried to wash dishes, but were disappointed when the dishwasher was still broken. We tried to make lunch, but wanted something quick and easy, and we haven't found gluten and dairy free to be quick or easy yet. We tried to take

Summer in Winter

2010-02-18T14:47:00.000-08:00

Those of us in Whatcom County can all attest to what a strange winter it's been this year. As much as I kind of long for a good freeze and some snow on the ground to play in, it has been pretty amazing to be able to send the kids out in the sun for most of January and February. It's not even the end of February and we've already burned though one of those large multi packs of bubbles. Simon's

Also...

2010-02-17T21:02:00.000-08:00

Two things before I pick up all the dvds and books off the floor (Isla's doing), wash the dishes and call it a night: 1. Ever wonder what Lent is all about? Baron wrote a good response to this here. 2. I couldn't resist sharing this freshly taken photo of Isla with you, sharing our love of coffee in her own way.

Lent 2010: More God, Less Gluten?

2010-02-17T20:18:00.000-08:00

Things have been crazy as usual in the Warner house. In the last three months we have: left babyhood in the dust and moved on to all things toddler and big kid, we got into a better work routine thanks to the amazing Nicole, we went childless to San Francisco, we taught the boy how to go on the potty 99% of the time, and all of this to the background music of a kitten in heat for five straight

Do you all still blog?

2009-10-22T12:53:00.001-07:00

Look. I know I am totally inconsistant with this blogging thing, but I just re-read every post I've ever written and it encouraged me to continue. Even though it is easier to just put something silly up on Facebook. Even though I don't think anyone really reads this anymore. Even though I don't always have anything very elequent to say. But I love all the stories about the kids and work and

I saw this on a blog I read often, and couldn't help but make my own...

2009-09-30T09:19:00.000-07:00

Lies I Tell Myself:1. I will go to bed early tonight, and finish the cleaning/laundry/dishes in the morning when I wake up early because I went to bed so early.2. Even though it is later than I meant to go to sleep, I will still get up early to finish the cleaning/laundry/dishes.3. I will finish the cleaning/laundry/dishes when I get home from work.4. I will finish the cleaning/laundry/dishes on

Goodbye Summer Sun

2009-09-01T10:13:00.000-07:00

The summer has officially flown by us with startling speed. We saw many of our close friends get married this summer, with front row seats. We moved. We neglected our new lawn and garden, but it rained so seldom that it's all nice and dead now anyways. We had an anniversary. Isla started crawling and got some teeth. Zoe is enrolled in a new school. We did a little camping and got through two more

Good Friday, at it's finest

2009-04-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

Today is Good Friday. In the Christian faith, Good Friday is a day of mourning and sacrifice. The day of Christ's crucifixion. In the church I grew up in, we "celebrated" this day by decorating the church in black. The alter was stripped of all decoration and draped in black. There was no singing in the service, and the focus was entirely on the grief wrapped around the sacrifice of God's Son. I

My son.

2009-04-02T21:20:00.000-07:00

Today we were supposed to be packing and taking a load of things to Goodwill (which Zoe still calls Good Wheel), but instead Simon had what we think was a partial seizure. He was with my mom and got upset (really upset, crying really hard) after playing with his toys in the basement and when she went to pick him up he arched his back stuck his arms out all tense and funny. He stopped breathing

Babies

2009-03-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

So I am currently at the hospital in the labor and delivery wing for the first time as a NOT PATIENT. Today is Mary's day and she is going to have baby Isaac, eventually. My mom is watching the kids for me and I am here with Cameron and Mary's mom just sort of waiting. But it's a good kind of wait, you know? It is interesting to be here on this side of the delivery bed! I still get that warm

Bigger?

2009-03-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

From A whole heap of pictures

Wrong Tuesday

2009-02-17T09:42:00.000-08:00

It's Tuesday and I was just trying to figure out what to do with the day. I was a whole week ahead of myself and got the kids all dressed and ready to go to Isla's next weight check before I realized that I would have been about seven days early. Now I am watching Simon attempt to drive matchbox cars over the cat while she does her preemptive "I'm going to freaking eat you" growl. I'm finding it

Room with a View

2009-01-26T14:04:00.000-08:00

So Nathan arrived safe and sound in San Salvador this morning. After a twenty dollar cell phone call we discovered the wonders of gmail video chat and built in computer cameras. This is the view from his room:From El SalvadorHe has the day to kind of orient himself and get to know the people he is traveling with. Tonight they are all eating dinner together and tomorrow starts the real sight

San Salvador

2009-01-25T09:59:00.000-08:00

We are in Seattle getting Nathan ready for his flight tonight to San Salvador! To check in on him and his trip be sure to check his blog at www.2ndcrack.com. I'll be writing about his trip here too.Have fun Nathan, we love you!

Warning: Contents Cute

2009-01-22T09:55:00.001-08:00

I swear to you that this will be my last "oh look at my babies" post for a while. I've got a great refinery story to tell you as soon as I find a good enough picture to accompany. I'm just hyper aware that my stay at home mom-ness days are severely numbered and I'm milking it (haha) for all it's worth. And besides, these kids are my secret weapon for conquering the world (and paying for my early

1-20-2009 09:00

2009-01-20T08:57:00.001-08:00

What are you doing right now? Isla and Neville and I are watching the inauguration on TV.

Today

2009-01-19T11:33:00.000-08:00

I am going to file our taxes.That is all I have to say about that.From Samish Lake Hike January 09

Sunny Perspectives

2009-01-19T10:46:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we had one of our favorite types of weekends. SUNNY! I have a theory about Northwesterners and the first sunny weekends of the year, but I won't get into that now...Instead, take a look at what we did:From Samish Lake Hike January 09We actually did a little more than just walk in the sun. We found a fun rental in the neighborhood that we have fallen in love with over the last

Good

2009-01-15T19:42:00.000-08:00

What makes a good day?1. A plane goes down in a river, but everyone lives and the pilot is heralded as a hero.2. You get at least 50% of your To Do list done.3. Both babies nap at the same time in their own beds.4. Your husband gets a raise.5. You get to see old friends from work.6. You get to pay some bills (eh).7. You even get a run in on the treadmill.8. Your husband gets an all expense paid

Work is as Work Does

2009-01-13T11:00:00.000-08:00

We are into another week of fun out here in Custer. I say that rather sarcastically, but for some reason there isn't a "sarcastic" font option so I'll understand if you didn't get it off hand. We had our 87,547,679,005th doctor's appointment this morning. This time it was a double appointment for Isla and me. We have officially seen the doctor more times in the last year than we have seen our

Another one Down

2009-01-10T13:34:00.000-08:00

So today we are selling our Tracker. This is good because it's one less bill we will have to pay and a little extra money we can use to get into a new house. Yay! Last week I finally got a hold of the people I used to work for at the refinery to see if they had any work for me in the near future. Unfortunately it looks like the economy has started to hit big oil too. No work yet, but my contract

Big!

2009-01-10T12:54:00.000-08:00

Isla had her weight check last night and weighed in at 9 pounds 6 ounces! The nurse explained to me that there can be a variance in the scale at the doctor's office and the scale at WIC, I just didn't realize that they could vary that much. So Isla is doing great and getting BIG!She is also two months old now, and doing lots of this:From Birthday Presents, Cow Cake and snow

Don't Ask

2009-01-09T11:27:00.000-08:00

Isla's weight check was postponed until tonight, but at Simon's Dr. appointment I snuck her onto the scale which showed no weight change for the week. This is getting stressful! Our doctor said that as long as she is over her birth weight he wasn't worried. She is at 8 pounds 14 ounces. I think the only thing that bothers me is people's comments. We can't take her anywhere without people asking

P.S.

2009-01-02T13:14:00.000-08:00

and P.S.It snowed again yesterday and this morning. Luckily, the old batch had mostly melted, and this batch was nice and small, only an inch or two!From Christmas Birthday and a Wedding 08

the rest of the story

2009-01-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

So the rest of the story is simply that it was Simon's Birthday. Only the poor boy was stuck in a tie and ballroom for the entire day. The wedding was beautiful though, and I even gave a toast without vomiting or even blushing! All three of us girls had our hair done at a salon, and every one looked fabulous. From Christmas Birthday and a Wedding 08From Christmas Birthday and a Wedding 08The next

Snow, Christmas, More Snow, a Birthday, a Wedding, a New Year, and More Snow

2009-01-01T10:08:00.000-08:00

I think the title fills you in on everything.We live in the great Pacific Northwest, where it rains, right? We usually don't get much snow, and if it does snow it is melted within a day. Only these last few weeks it has snowed nearly every day. At Christmas we had over two feet of the stuff!From Christmas Birthday and a Wedding 08Nathan was really thrilled. Note the hood is up on our van in the

Snow and Growing

2008-12-20T21:22:00.000-08:00

The storm brought a few inches of snow and my cousin Matt from Florida. He actually came to visit a few days before the storm and left right before it got hairy, but it was great to see him. Zoe got a few extra days of winter vacation out of the snow deal and now we are hunkering down in bed waiting for the next big storm to blow over. Isla had her weight check on Monday but she is still under

Update quicky

2008-12-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

This might have to be a quick one. I am feeding Isla, waiting for the espresso machine to warm up, have 18 minutes left on the lappy's battery and typing with one hand. Isla seems to be doing better. Her cold and bad cough landed us in the after hours urgent care clinic, but we were reassured that she doesn't have pneumonia. Unfortunately her weight has gone back down and at four weeks old she

Baby Update

2008-12-08T11:48:00.000-08:00

Things are intense with three kids. Zoe is at school during the day, but the Simon and the Isla, they fill up an afternoon with busyness. Also, Isla hasn't been gaining weight like we want her to. She is 25 days old and still not back to her birth weight. To try to get things in order I've been feeding her, pumping and then feeding her what I pump fortified with a few scoops of formula. This

Neville's Great Adventure: Part 8569767

2008-12-08T10:56:00.000-08:00

When Zoe was Simon's age (2-ish), we decided to get a dog. Now, if you know Nathan, you know that there is no such thing as an unresearched purchase. Everything of any value that we buy must be of the best quality and for the best price. Another thing about Nathan is that he kind of has a tendency to obsess. So for the last maybe 10 years of his existence, Nathan has had an obsession with Old

Introductions

2008-12-04T11:50:00.000-08:00

From Isla Elouise WarnerFrom Isla Elouise WarnerWorld, meet Isla. Isla, meet World. She arrived on November 13, her big sister's tenth birthday.Sorry for the enormous delay in all things news. I'll do better from here on out, I promise!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun?

2008-05-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

I realize it has been more than a long time since I posted. Sorry about that, we've been busy with all sorts of things. Here, I'll show you what we've been up to.First of all, some of us got cute hair cuts: And some of us got new glasses, and hung out with old friends: Then there was some tooth wiggling and bank deposits beneath pillows: We visited Eugene Oregon and discovered the world's

Cliff Notes of Last Two Weeks:

2008-03-20T08:48:00.001-07:00

I've been delinquent with the blog. But really, there hasn't been anything worth writing about.March 3 - 9: I have no idea what we did.Monday the 10th: Got a cold, took Zoe to the dentist where she got to use the nitrous oxide and tried to dance using her fingers. We also spent five hours in the ER, as Nathan thought he had kidney stones, but he was wrong, and only had a horrible flu and low

scooter style

2008-03-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

To further delay packing today, we decided to drive down to Lynnwood to pick something up for Nathan from Guitar Center. On the way back we stopped at the new Outlet Mall by the Casino. Our purpose and intention was to get Simon some new pants. Some that preferably don't make him look like a stuffed sausage gone clam digging. So, we checked out the Gymboree Outlet store and found THIS: Nathan

Craving: Salt

2008-02-27T08:51:00.001-08:00

Lately, I've been thnking about YouAnd lately, I've been dreaming of YouAnd lately, I can't get You out of my headGet You out of my headSomething about the oceanMakes me rise up and praiseSomething about the heavensMakes me stand in awe againSomething about the sunriseReminds me of Your faithfulnessSomething about the oceanAnd I'm lost in love againI'll sing until I sense a smileUpon Your great

Spring?

2008-02-26T11:36:00.000-08:00

The sun has been shining for several consecutive days, and people around here are noticing. Actually, people noticed when the sun first was out for about 10 minutes. They all went outside and clogged up the local parks and playgrounds and sidewalks. I know this because I was downtown when it happened and almost ran over at least a dozen people who were walking across streets not using the

Our Week in Pictures:

2008-02-22T14:58:00.001-08:00

There was some unhappiness this week.And some fun times too.We had to do some things we didn't really want to do. But we found solace in good friends.And it'll all work out in the end.Happy Friday!

An Exhale

2008-02-22T08:48:00.000-08:00

Growing up I always knew it was the weekend by the music my Dad would have playing on the living room stereo. I'm not sure if these were attempts by him to get me out of bed in the morning, or if he just simply longed to hear a tune as he watched the sun rise. His collection of records and CDs have always been very eclectic, and meant waking some mornings to the bellowing voice of Pavarotti, and

Processing

2008-02-21T10:40:00.000-08:00

It's probably best if you don't read this blog post today, since I am in the midst of trying to process some big things, and well, as this is my best processing tool at the moment, I don't promise this post to be of any worth to anyone but myself.Perhaps instead of reading, you could go here, and visit something of more entertaining value.Best of luck, check back tomorrow.************************

A Treasure Lost a Treasure Found

2008-02-20T10:59:00.000-08:00

Sitting on my desk in a neat little stack are two Microsoft Excel guidebooks. They appear to be further proof of my impending job shuffling. Shuffling, changing, morphing, reworking, something. I am sad about it, but not all that worried either. It will work out and in the end I'll get to pick up some data base knowledge and PSM. And because really, who wants to hear me whine?For real though, I

Eat, Pray, Love and Thank God it's Friday

2008-02-15T17:21:00.000-08:00

It's as if the world opened up and ate up all the Friday's (particularly the Friday afternoon's nearing four PM), and left me languishing in a relentless Thursday.This week just would not end. Did you all sense that too?But now it finally has, and hooray!So my list of things to do this weekend started out a bit adventurous and contained things like "visit Italy and eat some pizza," but then got

Like You.

2008-02-14T15:45:00.000-08:00

(A Valentine for my beloved).Yesby William StaffordIt could happen anytime, tornado,earthquake, Armageddon. It could happen.Or sunshine, love, salvation.It could, you know. That's why we wakeand look out - no guaranteesin this life.But some bonuses, like morning,like right now, like noon,Like evening.

Caught Blue Handed

2008-02-13T11:17:00.000-08:00

I was sitting in the living room trying to update the TaxCut program so we could finally file our taxes. Zoe was working on a dot to dot workbook at the dining room table. Simon, well, Simon was crawling/walking around with his giant truck toy, or so I thought. After a few seconds of the 'all telling too quietness' I got up from the couch to investigate. I give you exhibit A:

Check Back in Three Months

2008-02-05T13:20:00.001-08:00

I had to run to the grocery store on my lunch break to deposit my paycheck into our grocery store bank branch, and while I was there I grabbed some questionable Chinese lunch. Sometimes the only reason I get questionable Chinese lunches is for the fortune cookies. I always sneak two. There is something irresistible about fortune cookies to me, and one is never enough.The first one today read:You

Boy eats, and boy does he...

2008-02-05T09:46:00.000-08:00

I know I have mentioned this before, but I was just going through some pictures and noticed that the majority of the shots of our baby boy consist of him devouring food.This is significantly different behavior than that of our girls. In fact, we have a little video we made of Zoe's first nine months of life, and in it there is not much eating. Instead, in every shot she is crying. Always. And

Cuteness

2008-02-04T09:39:00.000-08:00

Above, in my attemt to have you all die of cuteness overload, is a recent pic of our tough boy napping. He's clothed in his Bono ONE Campaign T-shirt, rugged cargo pants and his fancy new pacifier chain. Nathan got that for him after we lost the one billionth pacifier (neccesary life sustaining object that it is) and decided that the Disney decorated velcro variety of pacifier attachers simply

Should Have Waited

2008-02-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

So of course, we ended up having our night away and went out for a delicious dinner with family and friends. My job status is still unknown, and I might get to know more today, but I'm trying not to worry about it too much (she said through clenched teeth). But, also of course, the kids are all sick (all three!) and Nathan too and this morning I woke up teetering on the edge of this cold. So you

Unraveling a Scarf to Knit a Sweater

2008-02-01T08:41:00.000-08:00

It's been a hard and lonely week.It began with a flat tire on the way to work. It became painful with a fall down icy steps, x-rays of my bionic spine, and a purse load of prescriptions. Continuing, it cumulated with a sick husband and feverish daughter. Continuing still, tt became panicky and shocking with the possible ending of a much loved job. Finally, it left me defeated with the

Hello 2008, Nice to Meet You

2008-01-10T08:12:00.000-08:00

Late Christmas morning, after the rush of opening presents and devouring of cinnamon rolls, I helped Zoe put together a few of her gifts. One in particular was perfect for that afternoon's long drive out to see Papa Tony's side of the family. A very pink Barbie laptop computer. Only it's computer type components are limited to a few games and learning exercises. After getting the batteries

Happy Birthday Simon

2007-12-27T09:06:00.000-08:00

Today, my baby boy turns one. One Year Old.Simon, what an amazing little person you are turning into, and have been from the second you were born. I can honestly say that I have loved every minute of the last 365 days. Even the many of which we spent not sleeping. You are a sweet delight. I love that you laugh every single day, with your crazy inhaling squawk. I thrive on that laughter. Your

Night Divine

2007-12-24T21:33:00.000-08:00

O Holy night, the stars are brightly shiningIt is the night of our dear Savior's birthLong lay the world in sin and error piningTil He appeared and the soul felt it's worthA thrill of hope the weary world rejoycesFor yonder breaks a new and glorious mornFall on your kneesO hear the angel voicesO night divine!O night when Christ was bornO night divine!O night, O night divine!And in His Name, all

Siblings, or Lack Therefor of

2007-12-21T10:26:00.000-08:00

I grew up in a house with two parents, a dog, a cat and a goldfish. That is my nice and indirect way of saying that I was an only child. I remember frequently being asked as a kid, if I liked being an only child. People seemed to focus on thinking that I didn't have to share things, and that I didn't have to worry about being in any older siblings shadow. I always felt that it was sort of a silly

Deck the Season for the Trolly?

2007-12-14T10:12:00.000-08:00

I was putting away dishes the other night and heard Zoe singing some Christmas songs in her room. The Lyrics had been re-worked a little, but I think I like Zoe's version better, how about you?

Boy Meets Processed Cheese

2007-12-09T17:34:00.001-08:00

Today I introduced Simon to the wonder that is Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. It was a big hit, and in fact, the spoon wasn't delivering fast enough so he took matters into his own hands. Literally.And then I discovered yet another great difference between boys and girls. For years, Zoe was a one piece of popcorn at a time kind of eater. She takes her time and takes tiny little bites. I wouldn't go

Zoe, our American Girl

2007-12-04T09:08:00.000-08:00

Last night while I was picking up Zoe from my parent's house and while we were putting on our shoes we caught a few minutes of the nightly news. There has been some pretty amazing flooding going on in the NW and the news was picture after picture of water logged streets and floating houses. A woman was shown being rafted out of her house with her disabled daughter and once she reached the safety

Every Good and Perfect Thing Comes From Above

2007-12-03T10:04:00.000-08:00

All at once things are starting to take shape around our house. Not neccesarily in the household per say (I still have a bazillion loads of laundry to do and dishes to wash and floors to clean...), but moreso in the lifeliving category. We are back in the Two Income Family bracket, and starting to get closer to the coveted black numbers. Nathan is in a job he enjoys. Someone we love is watching

The Last Day of November

2007-11-30T08:19:00.001-08:00

So today is the very last day of November. Can you believe that? Tomorrow is the start of Advent, my very favorite time of the year. Today is also the very last day for NaBloPoMo(FoSho). Which means that Woman of Many Thoughts better be blogging like crazy because it looks like it might snow this weekend! And Laura, what's the weather like over there in Germany? Do you have any snow yet? :)Simon

Nalah's Big Adventure

2007-11-29T13:12:00.000-08:00

We had an incident the other day where our cat had been missing for the better part of a week, and then, just after she was found we discovered that my mom's dog had to be put to sleep. After that our dog Neville ran away for the bazillionth time and we narrowly avoided freezing our goldfish to death. And thus, a month of pet drama was born. The story of the cat was the most interesting. She is

An Evening Out

2007-11-28T23:35:00.000-08:00

We walked up to the hotel where the party was last night and directly in front of us was a woman wearing a satin evening gown and a fur shrug. She had diamonds sparkling in huge clusters around her neck and her wrists. Her blond hair in perfect curls framing her made up face. She was absolutely gorgeous and came on the arm of a man in a tuxedo with a perfectly aged white beard and balding head.

Sicko

2007-11-27T21:05:00.000-08:00

I've been home all day today with a sick Simon. Tomorrow is looking to be more of the same. BUT, there is a slight chance that I'll get to go with Nathan to a party at a grand opening thing-a-ma-gig tomorrow evening. He was invited by some people at his work and it sounds kind of fancy and fun. It's at a hotel and bar in town, under new management, an invite only event. A grown-up only sort of

Monday Again

2007-11-26T08:01:00.001-08:00

How to start your week off with a bang.1. Listen to your baby cough all Sunday night long instead of sleep.2. Lose your keys.3. Take spare keys instead.4. Start towards work and realize you are almost out of gas.5. Drop kids off and snag gas can (with a wee bit of gas) from parent's garage.6. Realize that spare keys do not include the key to unlock the gas cap.7. Call husband for help.8. Realize

Simon Nose Best

2007-11-25T21:55:00.000-08:00

I don't think there is a nose that Simon has met that he hasn't honked. Here he is bestowing some nose love on his Papa Tony. Wouldn't you love some nose love too?Honk Honk!

How many Scandinavian Men Does it Take...

2007-11-24T18:37:00.000-08:00

...to install an espresso machine?Well, one, but it takes that one Scandinavian:4 days6 trips to 3 hardware stores7 wrong parts purchased from 3 hardware stores15 wet towellswashed twiceand 1 realization that there is indeed a difference between metric systemand US standard pipe threading. They made up in the end.

Thanksgiving, A Recap

2007-11-23T23:10:00.000-08:00

We ate turkey and gave thanks and then sat in the hot tub and drank wine. I am pretty sure that the hot tub sitting will be the new addition to our Thanksgiving traditions. It really helps the triptafene to take hold. It was startling to watch the frost form on the deck as we soaked in the tub, and realize that the rest of the world was freezing over for the night, while we held steady at 102

2007-11-22T06:42:00.000-08:00

The hardware store is full of very desperate people ten minutes before closing, on the eve of a holiday. We were two of them, courtesy of the geyser residing in the kitchen from the attempts at installing the New To Us Espresso Machine. Appliance installation never goes well for us. Our history of dishwasher installation, washing machine installation, and any sort of plumbing repair never ends

Thwarted Intentions and an All Night Buzz.

2007-11-21T19:00:00.000-08:00

My big plan for the day was to clean the house. Instead, I held a cranky Simon all day. Eventually I panicked with the lack of housework I was accomplishing so I put him in the baby backpack and cleaned some while toting him around. Essentially I got nothing done.Now Nathan is in the kitchen installing our new espresso machine. He is hooking it up to our water and drilling holes and such into the

Let the festivities begin

2007-11-20T19:24:00.000-08:00

This is just to let you know that I don't have to go to work tomorrow.Or the next day.Or, the day after that. And not the day after that either!AND! The day after that!!That is a grand total of five days to clean my house, eat some turkey (and ox tail and all the other delectable things Nathan is cooking), do some shopping, and sleep!Next, I'll fill you in on Nathan's Thanksgiving menu. We are

Be Still and Know

2007-11-19T15:56:00.000-08:00

I'm posting this picture because it makes me want to go fishing. Fishing is something that I used to do with my Dad. Since I was an only child and a girl, Dad didn't have much choice but to pass on his love for the sport to me. And pass it on he did. I have loved fly-fishing and all of the times he would take me out, just Dad and me, for a day of quietness and fun. To me fishing is more than the

Preparing for Black Friday

2007-11-18T20:11:00.000-08:00

Today we skipped church so that we could go to the stores and see what might be on Sale on Black Friday, the famous day after Thanksgiving.Ok, so we didn't really skip church for this reason, we had other reasons (cough cough, slept in, cough), but we did make our yearly purchase of a Sunday paper just for the ads. And we did go to the mall (yikes, that place is a lot scarier than I remember it

Bowling for Morgan

2007-11-17T22:37:00.000-08:00

Since our Morgan turned Nine last Tuesday and it was our weekend for her to be with us we decided to spice the night up and do something fun. At first we were going to go ice-skating. We have gone ice-skating for Morgan's birthday for the last...oh, 4 years. She loves ice-skating. Nathan and I though, are not so fond of the torture chambers also known as rental ice-skates. So last minute, we

Can You Believe I...

2007-11-16T10:13:00.000-08:00

I don't really like Mom Blogs. Even though I read a lot of them. Mostly, they just make me feel inadequate and like a Bad Mom. Mom Blogs post pictures of their kid's amazing theme rooms and immaculate kitchens. Mom Blogs talk about how little Timmy spilled milk on the carpet, and OMG they had to steam clean the whole house. Mom Blogs always have everything together and in the right places. I am

LaLaLaaaaaaaa

2007-11-15T22:55:00.000-08:00

We had Zoe's Parent Teacher Conference tonight.She's doing really well as a kindergartner. She's also doing really well as a little miss socialite. But really, we aren't surprised at all about that. Zoe's been social since before she could walk. In public places we had to be super careful with her as she would toddle up to complete strangers and demand UP. I sort of wasn't ok with that.Of all

Fire in the Sky

2007-11-14T14:12:00.000-08:00

Remember how I was a little sad about the lack of a sunrise the other day?Well, this morning on my way into work, there was a bit of a redemption:It did good things to my heart. Thanks for note John, we miss you.Photos courtesy of King5.com, since I was ill prepared.

Happy Birthday Morgan!

2007-11-13T22:25:00.000-08:00

Today Morgan is nine. Nine seems so big. SO BIG. Nine seems like almost a little lady. But, we discovered that if you give a nine year old lots of cake and ice cream they resort to the not as mature behavior you are used to. Phew.We celebrated the evening with some homemade Teriyaki Chicken cooked by Aunt Becky, and a cake shaped like a barn with a "rock" path and farm animals scattered about.

An Introduction

2007-11-12T09:51:00.000-08:00

Fellow bloggers and countrymen (ahem, /women),I would like to direct your attention to a fine fellow blogger of snark and intellect.A dear friend with late entry into NaBloPloGloNoMoFoSho. I mean, NaBloPoMo (is that right?).She is witty, hilarious, beautiful and uber fun. I can say that because she is living in Germany, and you have to say things like uber all the time over there. Trust me.I met

Super Dad

2007-11-11T18:36:00.000-08:00

Nathan has a new job, and it's awesome and he is enjoying it. But after a whole lot of months with him home with the kids, we are in a bit of an adjustment period.The adjustment period is that we all pretty much miss him a whole lot.This weekend was not much help either. He got to go to this fun Coffee Fest in Seattle, while the rest of us (read: ME) went to a funeral.As soon as he got home,

Helmet Comparison

2007-11-10T20:56:00.000-08:00

I'm having a hard time accepting that my baby is going to be a year old in a little over a month. So much so that I had to go look through some old photos just to see how much he has grown.These pictures (although a bit blurry) were taken when Simon was three and a half months old.He fit nicely into Nathan's scooter helmet back then.And then, four months later, when he was eight and a half months

Because They are so Beautiful

2007-11-09T18:38:00.000-08:00

John, in the Paper Again

2007-11-09T18:11:00.000-08:00

‘We’ve all been robbed of a master painter’John Cole’s landscapes won wide attention DEAN KAHNTHE BELLINGHAM HERALD John Cole of Bellingham painted full time for only two decades, long enough to win acclaim as a landscape artist, short enough to add extra poignancy to his death Tuesday at age

Why We Are No Longer Allowed In Public Places

2007-11-09T11:26:00.000-08:00

Last night, after an impromptu hair cut for Nathan, we decided on a quick-y dinner at a local Denny's. We don't go there often, but we were lusting after some burgers and good cheap kids menus. About fifteen minutes after ordering our food, we started to remember why we stopped eating out when Zoe was a baby.Simon was cranky, hungry, wet-diapered, and loud.All good things to be while in a

Breathe Deeply, Friday's Nearly Here

2007-11-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

This one is for my friend Man of Many Thoughts,I would have let you post it yourself, but since you are under investigation of post stealing, I thought I would go ahead. Enjoy! Hope your day at work goes better!

Also in the Paper...

2007-11-08T10:41:00.000-08:00

My Godfather:John Dennis Cole9/16/1936 - 11/6/2007Birthplace: London, EnglandLast Resided in: Bellingham, WashingtonObituaryJohn D. Cole, one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier landscape painters, passed away in Bellingham on November 6, 2007 at the age of 71. He was born September 16, 1936 in London, England to William and May Cole and emigrated to the U.S. at the age of 15. He served four years